Wood chip soaker

ABSTRACT

A wood chip soaking apparatus has a fluid holding base container having end walls suited for supporting at least one, and suitably two, or even more, wood chip baskets in the container for pre-soaking the wood chips to be added to a barbeque heat source. Wood chips are preferably supported in the base container on handles projecting from the wood chip baskets. The base container preferably is provided with elevated side walls for supporting the wood chip baskets in an elevated position after soaking for draining the fluid from the baskets.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Applicants of the this non-provisional application claim the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/860,968, filed on Nov.22, 2006.

BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to the art of barbecuing, and,more particularly, to the use of wood chips in a barbecue to enhanceflavor of barbecued foods.

It has been long known that the taste of barbecued food can be enhancedby adding wood chips to the barbecue coals. It is also known that morepronounced flavors can be obtained by first soaking the wood chips inwater, or other mixtures, such as water and beer, before adding them tothe fire. The soaking causes the wood chips to smolder rather than burstinto flames, thereby generating more smoke for flavoring the food. Thefood flavoring effects of smoking can be altered by changing the wood ofthe wood chips. For example, heavy woods, like mesquite and pecan wood,have a stronger smoke flavor than fruit woods.

Heretofore, wood chips have conventionally been soaked in fluid-filledcontainers, and then removed by hand to the barbecue coals, or pouredonto the barbecue coals after the fluids have been poured out of thecontainers. A need exists for an improved way of soaking wood chips, andplacing them on barbecue coals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the invention is directed to a wood chip soaking apparatus foruse with a barbeque. The wood chip soaking apparatus allows for apredetermined amount of wood chips to be soaked in a fluid, typicallywater or water with some flavoring component, and then removed from thesoaking fluid, drained, and placed onto the barbecue's heat sourcewithout direct handling of the wood chips. The wood chip soakingapparatus is comprised of a base container having side walls and abottom wall forming a fluid holding; chamber, and at least one, andsuitably two or more perforated wood chip baskets. The wood chip basketsare fabricated of a heat tolerant material that allows them to be setdirectly on the barbecue coals. The perforations in the basket providefluid openings which allow fluid to drain from the baskets when thebaskets are removed from the container. In one alternative aspect of theinvention, the baskets are provided with side handles fore easilyhandling of the baskets, including ease of lifting them from the basecontainer and onto the barbecue coals. In another alternative aspect ofthe invention, the side handles of the chip baskets are used to suspendthe baskets on one or more top support edges of the base container'sside walls. In yet a further alternative aspect of the invention, thebase container has a first set of opposed side walls with top supportedges at a low elevation relative to the bottom of the container, and asecond set of opposed side walls having top edges at a higher elevationin relation to the bottom of the container. The different elevations ofthe side walls allow the wood chip baskets to be suspended at differentheights, first at a lower height for soaking the wood chips, and then ata higher position for allowing fluid to drain from the wood chipbaskets.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a wood chip soaking apparatus inaccordance with the invention, with the wood chip baskets supported inthe base container of the apparatus in their lower height for soakingthe wood chips in the basket.

FIG. 2 is an exploded top perspective view thereof, showing the woodchip baskets lifted from the base container.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view thereof, showing the wood chip basketssupported at an elevated position on the base container for draining thewood chip baskets.

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the wood chip apparatus shown inFIG. 1 taken along lines 4A-4A.

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the wood chip apparatus shown inFIG. 3 taken along lines 4B-4B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, the illustrated wood chip soakingapparatus, denoted by the numeral 11, is comprised of a fluid holdingbase container 13 and two wood chip baskets 15 sized to fit within thebase container. Each of the wood chip baskets includes outwardlyprojecting side handles 17, which facilitate the handling of thebaskets, including lifting them into and out of the base container. Ashereinafter described, the basket handles also permit the baskets to besupported on the base container.

The illustrated wood chip baskets have a generally rectangular shape andinclude a bottom wall 21, side walls 23, and end walls 25. A pluralityof fluid openings or perforations 19 are provided in baskets to allowfluid 14 contained in the base container to flood the baskets, and toallow the baskets to drain when the wood chip baskets are lifted out ofthe base container. Preferably, the perforations are distributed overthe side, end and bottom walls of the basket as shown to maximize fluidin-flow and outflow through the basket walls, however, fewerperforations, and perforations on some walls but not others are possibleand considered within the scope of the invention. The handles 17 areseen to be formed along the top edge 27 of each of the basket's endwalls 25, such that the baskets hang down below the handles. The basketsare suitably fabricated of a metal material, such as stainless steel,and can be suitably fabricated from a punching and bending process.

While the wood chip baskets are shown in pairs in the illustratedembodiment, it is understood that a single wood chip basket of a largersize could be provided that fits within the base container.Alternatively, each of the wood chip containers could be made of asmaller size such that more than two wood chip containers fit within thebase container. Furthermore, the baskets could be made in other shapesthan shown, as could the base container. However many wood chipcontainers are used and whatever there shape, they should be sized suchthat they can be readily lifted out of the base container for drainingthe baskets, and for subsequent placement on the barbecue coals.

The fluid holding base container 13 can be fabricate of any suitablematerial, including plastic. The base container includes a bottom wall29, high side walls 31, and low side walls 33, all of which form a fluidholding chamber 14. As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wood chipbasket 15 and outwardly projecting basket handles 17 are designed suchthat the basket handles extend over and are supported by the top edges35 of each of the base container's low side walls 33 when the basketsare set into the base container in the illustrated orientation. Topedges 35 are preferably provided with notched out portions 37, intowhich the chip basket handles will fit when the chip baskets are placedin the container. These notched out portions will facilitate theplacement and retention of the chip baskets on the container side wallsin their proper side-by-side position.

The high side walls 31 of base container 13 provide a means fortemporarily suspending the wood chip baskets above the container's level(denoted by the numeral 16 in FIG. 4B so that the baskets and their loadof chips can drain before placing them on the barbecue coals. The heightof these walls is preferably chosen such that, when the baskets areplaced on the walls as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4B, the bottom wall of eachbasket will be raised somewhat above the level of the fluid in thecontainer. It is contemplated that the base container will preferablyhave a substantially square shape such that, when the baskets arerotated by 90 degrees, the basket handles 17 will hang over the elevatedtop edges 39 of the high side walls 31, as they do with the low sidewalls. However, other configurations are possible that would allow thebaskets to be supported by the high and low sidewalls of the container,for example, by providing a rectangular container with inwardlyprojecting handle engaging structures on which the basket handles canrest.

As with the low side walls 33, the elevated top edges 39 of side walls31 can be provided with notches 41 for receiving the extended handles ofthe wood chip baskets. And as with notches 37 in top edges 35 of thelower side walls, notches 41 in the high side walls will facilitate thelocation and retention of the chip baskets in their shown elevatedposition. It is further noted that the high side walls 31 are shown withhandle cutouts 43 to form handles on the high walls for ease of grippingand lighting the base container.

To use the illustrated wood chip soaker apparatus, the wood chip basketsare first filled with a measured quantity of wood chips 45, and the woodchip baskets placed in the base container with the basket handles 17oriented toward the low side walls 33 of base container 13. Each basketis settled into the base container by moving the handles into the handlenotches 37. The base container is then filled with the desired fluid,such as water or water with a flavoring ingredient, so as to submergethe wood chips contained in the baskets. After the chips are allowed tosoak for a suitable period of time, the baskets are lifted off of thelower end walls, rotated 90°, and then set back down onto the high sidewalls, such that the basket handles slide into notches 41 on the topedges of the high side walls. In this position, the wood chips and woodchip basket will be elevated above the soaking fluid 16, as illustratedin FIG. 4B. Here, the wood chip basket and wood chips can be allowed tocompletely drain before they are lifted off base container for placementonto the coals of a barbeque. (It is noted that the wood chip filledbaskets can be placed in the coals without emptying the wood chips intothe coals.) After barbecuing, the trays can easily be lifted out of thecoals, emptied and cleaned, and then reused.

It is noted that the base container is preferably substantially square,to accommodate the dual orientation of the wood chip containers as abovedescribed. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited tothe geometries shown. It would be possible, for example, for the basecontainer to have other geometries which accommodate one or more woodchip baskets that could be lifted out of the base container. Also, theinvention contemplates the possibility of base containers having sideand end walls of the same elevation, wherein the wood chip baskets wouldbe removed entirely from the baskets for draining.

While the present invention has been described in considerable detail inthe foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is notintended that the invention be limited to such detail, except asnecessitated by the following claims.

1. A wood chip soaking apparatus for a barbecue comprising a basecontainer having at least one side wall surrounding a bottom wallforming a fluid holding chamber; and at least one wood chip basket sizedto be removably lowered into the fluid holding chamber of said basecontainer for soaking wood chips contained within said basket, said woodchip basket having a plurality of fluid openings to allow fluid to draintherefrom when removed from said base container and being fabricated ofa heat tolerant material to allow the wood chip basket, with soaked woodchip contained therein, to be set over a barbecue heat source.
 2. Thewood chip soaking apparatus of claim 1 wherein said base container hasfour side walls and is substantially square in shape.
 3. The wood chipsoaking apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one side wall of saidbase container includes opposed side walls, and said wood chip basket ishas two side walls, two end walls and a bottom wall, and fits betweenthe opposed side walls of said base container.
 4. The wood chip soakingapparatus of claim 3 wherein said plurality of fluid openings aredistributed about the two sides walls, two end walls and bottom wall ofsaid wood chip basket.
 5. The wood chip soaking apparatus of claim 1wherein said wood chip basket includes at least one lift handle forplacing said wood chip basket into said base container and for liftingsaid basket from said base container.
 6. The wood chip soaking apparatusof claim 5 wherein said at least one side wall of said base containerincludes a top support edge, and wherein said lift handle of said woodchip basket is adapted to engage said top support edge for suspendingsaid basket in the fluid holding chamber of said base container forsoaking the wood chips.
 7. The wood chip soaking apparatus of claim 6wherein the top support edge of said base container side wall has anotched out portion configured to receive the lift handle of said woodchip basket, wherein, when said lift handle is engaged in said notchedout portion, said wood chip basket is suspended in the fluid holdingchamber of said base container for soaking the wood chips.
 8. The woodchip soaking apparatus of claim 5 wherein said at least one side wall ofsaid base container includes a top support edge, and wherein said lifthandle of said wood chip basket is adapted to engage said top supportedge for suspending said basket above the fluid holding chamber of saidbase container for draining the wood chips after they have been soaked.9. The wood chip soaking apparatus of claim 8 wherein the top supportedge of said base container side wall has a notched out portionconfigured to receive the lift handle of said wood chip basket, wherein,when said lift handle is engaged in said notched out portion, said woodchip basket is suspended above the fluid holding chamber of said basecontainer for draining the wood chips.
 10. The wood chip soakingapparatus of claim 1 wherein at least two wood chip baskets areprovided, said wood chip baskets being sized to be removably loweredinto the fluid holding chamber of said base container in side-by-by siderelation.
 11. A wood chip soaking apparatus for a barbecue comprising abase container having a bottom wall, a first set of opposed side wallswith top support edges at a low elevation relative to said bottom wall,and a second set of opposed side walls having top support edges at ahigher elevation relative to said bottom wall, the bottom wall, firstset of opposed side walls and second set of opposed side walls forming afluid holding chamber; at least one wood chip basket sized to beremovably lowered into the fluid holding chamber of said base container,said wood chip baskets each having a plurality of fluid openings toallow fluid to drain therefrom, said basket having at least one lifthandle for lifting said basket from said base container, said lifthandle being adapted to enrage the top support edges of said first setof opposing side walls for suspending said basket in the fluid holdingchamber of said base container for soaking wood chips contained in saidbasket, and further being adapted to engage the top support edges ofsaid second set of opposing side walls for suspending said basket abovethe fluid holding chamber of said base container to allow fluid to drainfrom said baskets, said wood chip basket being fabricated of a heattolerant material to allow the basket, with soaked wood chip containedtherein, to be set over a barbecue heat source.
 12. The wood chipsoaking apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least two wood chip baskets,each having at least one lift handle, are provided, said wood chipbaskets being sized such that they can be removably lowered into thefluid holding chamber of said base container in side-by-by siderelation, and such that their lift handles can engage the top supportedges of said first set of opposing side walls for suspending saidbasket in the fluid holding chamber of said base container for soakingwood chips contained in said basket, or when turned together their lifthandles can engage the top support edges of said second set of opposingside walls for suspending said basket above the fluid holding chamber ofsaid base container to allow fluid to drain from said baskets.
 13. Thewood chip soaking apparatus of claim 12 wherein said base container issubstantially square shaped.
 14. The wood chip soaking apparatus ofclaim 11 wherein said at least one wood chip basket is rectangular inshape and has two side walls, two end walls and a bottom wall.
 15. Thewood chip soaking apparatus of claim 14 wherein said at least one woodchip basket has two lift handles, one extending from each of the endwalls thereof.
 16. The wood chip soaking apparatus of claim 11 whereinat least one of said top support edges of said first and second set ofopposed side walls has a notched out portion configured to receive saidlift handle such that said wood chip basket can be suspended form atleast one of either of said first and second set of opposed side wallsby engaging the at least one lift handle of said basket in said notchedout portion.
 17. The wood chip soaking apparatus of claim 9 wherein thesecond set of opposed side walls of said base container each have ahandle cutout forming gripping handles.
 18. A wood chip infusingapparatus comprising at least one perforated metal wood chip basket forholding wood chips, said basket having at least two oppositely andoutwardly extending handles for lifting said container; and asubstantially square base container for holding a fluid, said basecontainer being configured to engage the handles of said wood chipbasket in two rotated positions so as to hold said wood chip basket ineither a first lowered position which immerses the basket in a fluidcontained in said base container or a second elevated position whichelevates the basket above the level of such fluid to allow fluid todrain from said basket.
 19. The wood chip soaking apparatus of claim 18wherein at least two rectangularly shaped wood chip baskets areprovided, said wood chip baskets being sized such that they can beremovably lowered into said base container in side-by-by side relation,and such that they can both be rotated between said first and secondpositions for placing said baskets in a lowered or elevated position.20. The wood chip soaking apparatus of claim 18 wherein said basecontainer has a first set of opposed side walls with top support edgesat a low elevation relative to said bottom wall, and a second set ofopposed side walls having top support edges at a higher elevationrelative to said bottom wall, and wherein the lift handles of said atleast wood chip basket with engage the top support edges of one or theother of the sets of sidewalls of said base container depending on theorientation of said base container.
 21. The wood chip soaking apparatusof claim 20 wherein each of the top support edges of said first andsecond set of opposed side walls have a notched out portion configuredto receive one of the lift handles of said wood basket such that saidwood chip basket can be suspended from one or the other of said first orsecond set of opposed side walls by engaging the lift handles of saidbasket in the notched out portions of one or the other of said opposedside walls.